


The Still-Beating Heart

by SailorChibi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bathing, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cuddling, Death, Dom Steve, Evil Bucky Barnes, Evil Steve Rogers, Gore, Kneeling, Light BDSM, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Not Alternate Universe, Platonic Bathing, Possessive Steve Rogers, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Praise Kink, Protective Steve Rogers, Serial Killers, Serial killer Steve, Sub Tony, Subspace, Threesome - M/M/M, Unhealthy Relationships, bucky tries so hard, but bucky does kill someone, could also be switch bucky, description of violence, evil is probably subjective, it's heavily implied by the end of it, pre-tony/bucky/steve, serial killer bucky, seriously it's no one important, service sub tony, steve will take care of everything, sub bucky, this did not go the way bucky planned, tony is a sweet sub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 02:46:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7917385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bucky returns to the tower, he's covered in blood.</p><p>Tony and Steve don't react the way he's expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Still-Beating Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Middle of the week pick me up! a.k.a. IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR OH MY GOD 2016 WHY.

Bucky's hands are covered in blood.

He's cautious as he makes his way back towards the tower, keeping to alleys and rooftops, never letting anyone catch sight of him. It's not hard; he lets the instincts borne from when he was the Solider guide his footsteps and movements, slipping from shadow to shadow. People walk right by without even knowing he's there.

The front of his sweater, his pants, his sneakers - probably even his face and hair - are saturated, and the sticky-sweet smell lingers at the back of his throat. When he licks his lips, he can taste it.

 _It was all in the eyes, and the way he stared up at Bucky. Angry at first, like he thought Bucky wasn't a threat, but gradually that changed. That was always the Winter Soldier's favorite part, too. The way the anger slowly gave way to fear, and then to pure_ terror _. He started to bargain then, and beg, but that was nothing compared to the rush of adrenaline when the life faded from his eyes._

Avengers Tower is lit up like always. Bucky sneaks in the back way, and in the mirrored walls of the elevator he sees a red monster with blue eyes. The manic grin on his own face makes him shiver. His heart is still pounding; his only regret is that it was over too quickly after months of holding back and trying to be a good little teammate. He can't even blame the Winter Solider this time. 

It was all him.

_The guy fought, of course, and even landed a couple of blows. Bucky didn't even feel it in the heat of the moment, though he figured he'd wake up with a black eye tomorrow. He wasn't sure when it changed from a brawl to something more, not sure when the knowledge sank in that he was going to kill this man._

It's dark when he steps off the elevator. Good. 

_He punched the guy in the face, hard enough to break his nose. The guy went down flat on his back, skull bouncing off the ground. It left him disoriented and Bucky backed off a little, stalking around him in a slow circle. As the Winter Soldier, he had killed from a distance. Bucky's first kill would be up close and personal and gloriously messy._

He kicks off his shoes, only now noticing the red smears and puddles he's been leaving behind. He'll need to clean the floor of the elevator before the rest of the team arrives home. For now, he carries his blood-soaked sneakers in one hand and pads across the living room floor in his socked feet. A few drops of blood roll off the sneakers and land on the floor, one after the other, staining the wooden floor, and Bucky smiles.

_There was blood on the ground, too. A small pool of it from the guy's nose. He had his hands over his nose and was yelling something about a lawyer. Bucky knelt down and grabbed the guy by the throat, silencing him. That was the first moment of uncertainty, that split second of humanity's hind brain realizing that they've messed with something they couldn't control._

But when he reaches his room someone is sitting on the edge of his bed, just visible in the dark.

_Bucky got his hands around the guy's neck. It was laughably easy with his metal hand; it required more effort not to hurt, to kill, than it did to just let go. He squeezed very slowly, watching as the guy's hands pried helplessly at his metal hand, watched him trying to gasp for breath._

"Tony?"

_Once the guy passed out, but before he was dead, Bucky took out his knife. His guns were fun to play with too, but he had realized quickly that there was no substitute for the cool metal and the way that flesh gave under it. It got even better when the guy woke up and tried to scream. Tried being the key word. Bucky started with his face._

Tony stands up. The lights come on with no one's prompting, but remain dimmed. He takes a few steps towards Bucky, who swallows and steels himself against the urge to run. He doesn't deserve to run. He killed someone tonight. He deserves whatever consequences the Avengers are going to pull down on his head.

(If he goes to prison, to some dank hole in the ground, he'll spend forever remembering tonight without an ounce of regret).

_In the end, Bucky held a heart in his hands. It beat for about a minute, the fluttering rhythm against Bucky's palms, before he sliced it in two._

Tony doesn't call for the suit, or for JARVIS. He doesn't say a word. He stops right in front of Bucky and reaches for the zipper of Bucky's sweater. Bucky lets him pull it down and even shrugs it off willingly, revealing the faded t-shirt that once belonged to Steve. Tony removes that too, pulling it over Bucky's head. When he reaches for the zipper to Bucky's jeans, Bucky stops him.

"What are you doing?"

Tony cocks his head, still silent, waiting. Hesitantly, Bucky lets go of his wrist. Tony immediately tugs the zipper down and pushes both jeans and boxers down, movements slow but graceful. Bucky steps out of them and stands there, naked except for his socks, arms and face still covered in blood.

Taking a step back, Tony cocks a finger for him to follow.

Bucky does. What else can he do? He pads across the floor, shedding his socks, and into the bathroom. The water is already running, filling the spacious room with steam. Right before Bucky's eyes, shameless, Tony strips naked. It's the first time Bucky's ever seen the arc reactor and he can't stop staring.

Tony steps into the water first, again beckoning to Bucky with a single finger. He follows. The water is just this side of too hot, the way Bucky likes it, and it immediately begins to run red. 

"I don't think..." Bucky trails off when small but nimble hands land on his shoulders, urging him to kneel. He swore once that he wouldn't kneel for anyone ever again, but finds himself going to knees at very little prompting for Tony Stark.

It's worth it. Tony washes his hair.

It's a sinful experience, strong fingers meticulously removing every trace of the evidence, rubbing at Bucky's scalp until he wants to moan. Until he does moan. Tony even works conditioner into his hair. Then, while it rests, soaps up his hands and runs them over Bucky's face and shoulders, arms and chest, his back and butt and groin. All the way down to the tips of his feet.

That's the first time Bucky notices the glazed look in Tony's eyes, like he's somewhere far away, and the small, peaceful smile on his lips.

He's done this before.

The thought strikes and sits like lightening in Bucky's belly. He sits there frozen as Tony rinses him off, washing the evidence down the drain until the water runs clear.

They get out. Tony is still wet, beads of water rolling down his body, a dreamy expression on his face as he walks out of the room. Stark naked, walking down the hall, and into the bedroom he and Steve share. By the time Bucky gets to the door, he's folded himself up in the middle of the floor, sitting on his knees with his head down and his arms crossed at the small of his back, cock nestled along one thigh, like a pretty little offering.

"Tony," Bucky whispers hoarsely. The surge of lust is as unexpected as it is unwelcome. This is his best friend's boyfriend.

This is his best friend's boyfriend, who he just showered with after killing someone.

Bucky is _so confused_.

No matter what he says, Tony won't respond. He's conscious, eyes half-lidded, breathing slowly. Meditating, maybe. Bucky opts to enter the room and stand in the corner, his back to the wall. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to grab one of Steve's shirts and a pair of boxers, but it feels intrusive, somehow.

So he stands, naked and wet.

He's not sure how long they wait. Isn't even sure, at first, what they're waiting for. 

But then Steve appears in the doorway.

"Steve?" Bucky says, tensing.

"Hey Buck," Steve says with an easy smile, as though this situation is in no way unusual. "Doing okay?"

"I -" The words catch in Bucky's throat, something hot curling in his chest. Not shame. He held back for as long as he could, and no one can say he didn't try his hardest. But fear, maybe. Fear that he might lose Steve and everything else he's worked so hard for.

Steve steps into the room and walks over to Tony. "Good boy," he murmurs, setting a big hand down on Tony's still damp hair. "You did exactly what I asked you to do. You took care of Bucky just like you take care of me. I'm proud of you, sweetheart."

Tony makes a soft, sweet sound and lifts his head. Suddenly, the dreamy look in his eyes takes on new meaning as he leans into Steve's hand. Subspace, Bucky thinks, recalling a word he learned a very long time ago, a word that surfaces like a sliver of sunlight amongst the reeling his mind is currently doing.

"Steve?" he says again.

"It's okay, Buck," Steve says, lifting his gaze to Bucky. "You did good."

"I killed someone."

"I know."

"He deserved it."

"I know," Steve repeats, gentler this time. "JARVIS told me. Told us. Tony took care of you, and I took care of the clean-up. That's what took me so long." He cups his hand around Tony's head. Tony goes with it, nuzzling into Steve's thigh, nose tucked into his crotch like a needy kitten.

Clean-up. Bucky is filled with shame this time. When he was nothing but the asset, his handlers took care of that. He was just there to do the killing, nothing more. How could he have forgotten life didn't work that way anymore?"

"Hey," Steve says, "It's okay. You'll learn. It's a different game, that's all."

"I don't understand."

"You will." Steve smiles again, hand sliding possessively down to Tony's neck. "I had hopes for you. I thought maybe you could get past it. But if you can't, that's okay. I'll train you better. By the time we're done, you'll be able to clean a scene so thoroughly no one will know you've been there. Tony created chemical agents just for that, you know. My gorgeous little scientist." 

Tony seems to take as permission to move his hands for the first time since he knelt. He wraps his arms around Steve's leg with another sweet, breathy whimper that gets Bucky half-hard.

"The first kill is good," Steve adds, so kind. "But the second is better. The second is when you really know what you're doing."

"Steve?" Bucky whispers, because he's - is this really his best friend?

"It's okay." Steve holds out his free hand to Bucky. It's a familiar hand, a strong hand, yet it looks completely different now. But at the same time, it's still Steve. Steve and Tony.

Bucky's legs move of their own accord, bringing him closer. It feels strangely natural to slide to his knees beside Tony, to let Steve's hand come to rest on his own head, to turn his head to rest against Steve's thigh, to meet Tony's satisfied gaze. Steve strokes his head and whispers to them, praising them, calling them his good little boys and Tony his sweetheart and Bucky his doll, telling them how beautiful they are and how cherished.

Warm words that coil in Bucky's belly, burning out everything else, and leaving him wanting to earn the pride that's in Steve's eyes when he looks at Tony.

"I want," he starts, but can't finish.

"I know what you want. I know what you _need_. Don't worry, doll. I'll take care of everything."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
